R e s p e c t & P r o t e c t

Engaging Absentee Landownersin Conservation

Introduction

Dear Natural Resources Professional,

Do you consider sales and marketing to be part of your job description? Whether we like it or not, many of us are in the business of “selling” conservation. And, just like selling windows or siding for a home, selling natural resource conservation requires hard work, numerous contacts, and a thoughtful, targeted approach. This is especially true if you are targeting a new audience, like “absentee” or “non-operator” owners of agricultural land. Many of these landowners are completely unaware of you, your organization, and the services you provide. Getting (and keeping) their attention is not an easy task.

We have discovered the world of marketing has a lot to offer the field of natural resource conservation, and we would like to share this information with you. Conservation Connect (formerly The Center for Absentee Landowners), managed by Agren, Inc., has initiated direct marketing campaigns to absentee landowners on a pilot basis across the United States since 2006. Along the way, we have consulted with many experts and have learned a lot.

Whether your target audience is absentee landowners or more traditional landowners like farmers and ranchers, the practices explained in this toolkit will help you develop an outreach effort that gets results.

• Take our Conservation Marketing Quiz to find out just how much you know about marketing conservation to landowners. You will find each question leads you to one of ten best practices for more information.

• Browse our Best Practices for Engaging Landowners in Conservation. These short and easy-to-read summaries will help you understand the things you are doing right, and those on which you could improve. Each best practice provides resources to get you started in the right direction.

• Learn from specific how-to articles, outreach samples, and worksheets to help you put each of the best practices in action (available only on the web at www.absenteelandowners.org/info-for-organizations). Each best practice recommendation will direct you to relevant how-to articles.

• Case studies share many of our own specific experiences planning and executing direct marketing campaigns to absentee landowners. You’ll read about our successes, as well as our failures.

Best of luck to you! We sincerely hope this information will be helpful. And remember, selling conservation isn’t easy, but it is rewarding. Commit to it for the long haul!

Jamie RidgelyConservation ConnectAgren, Inc.

MARKETING QUIZ

1. Establishing your audience should consume what percent of your outreach efforts?a. 10% c. 50%b. 30% d. 80%

2. True or False? The desired action you want from landowners should change throughout your project.

3. Which benefit of buffer strips do landowners find most compelling?a. Creating wildlife and habitat diversity.b. Enhancing the value of their land.c. Slowing erosion and capture contaminants.d. Promoting clean, safe, drinking water.

4. True or False? There are two main reasons absentee landowners don’t implement

conservation practices: 1) Either they don’t know their options or 2) They don’t care about natural resources.

5. Which three of the following are considered good marketing offers? a. To learn how you can reduce nutrient runoff by 90%, call…b. For more information, contact…c. To schedule a free one-on-one consultation, phone…d. Call by January 15 and receive a $50 gift certificate.

6. Two words that can be used freely in communication with the public are?a. Water quality e. Wetlandsb. Conservation f. Technical assistancec. Natural resources g. Watershedd. Stewardship

7. The A.I.D.A. (Awareness, Interest, Desire, Action) model is:a. A model that analyzes the environment of an organization.b. A model that helps segment a marketing audience.c. A communication model.d. A tool to assist in positioning a product or service.

8. How many contacts, on average, are necessary to convert 80% of eligible prospects to a sale?a. 1-2 contactsb. 3-4 contactsc. 5-12 contacts

9. Branding is primarily used to:a. Show consumers who owns a product/service.b. Spice up the image of a product/service.c. Build recognition for a product/service.d. Help consumers select a product/service.

10. True or False? If landowners are not interested in the specific program or service you are offering, it is best to completely remove them from your contact list.

11. What is the longest time period to wait when responding to a landowner inquiry?a. 48 hours c. 2 weeksb. 1 week d. 1 month

1. C 50%ofyouroutreacheffortsshouldbespentondefiningand

selectingyourtargetaudience.Tolearnwhatisinvolvedintheprocess,refertoBestPracticeRecommendation#1Define and analyze your target audience.

2. True Thedesiredactionyouwantfromlandownersshould

changethroughoutyourproject.Tolearnmoreabouthowincrementalactionsmotivatelandowners,refertoBestPracticeRecommendation#2.

3. Dependingonyourtargetmarket,anyofthesecouldbecorrect.Tofurtherunderstandhowtotailorthemessagetoyouraudience,gotoBestPracticeRecommendation#3.

4. False Therearemanyreasonsabsenteelandownersdon’timplement

conservationpractices.Toreadabouttheotherreasons,pleaselookat#4Acknowledge and overcome barriers.

5. A, C, and D Allthreewouldbeconsideredgoodmarketingoffers.Tofindout

whyBisnotcorrect,goto#5Make a single, compelling offer and specific call to action.

6. A and C Waterqualityandnaturalresourcesarecommonlyusedin

communicationanddonotgenerallyhavealternatemeanings.ToseewhatwordsNOTtouse,turnto#6Keep language simple.

7. B TheA.I.D.A.modelhelpssegmentamarketingaudience.To

learnhowtousetheA.I.D.A.modelinyoureffort,gotoBestPracticeRecommendation#7.

8. C Fivetotwelvecontacts,onaverage,arenecessarytoconvert

80%ofeligibleprospectstoasale.Tolearnmoreaboutwhyitisimportanttorepeatthesamemessagethroughmultiplemedia,readBestPracticeRecommendation#8.

9. C Brandingisprimarilyusedtobuildrecognitionforaproduct/

service.Tolearnhowtocreateaconsistentbrand,readBestPracticeRecommendation#9.

10. False Keepnotesonallcontactsthatcanbeusedforpromoting

futureprogramsormailers.Tolearnwhyitisimportanttoestablishyourselfasthelocalexpert,reviewBestPracticeRecommendation#10.

11. C Aresponsetimeof48hoursisideal,but2weeksisthemaximum

whenrespondingtoalandownerinquiry.RelationshipsmustbenurturedthroughexcellentcustomerserviceasexplainedinBestPracticeRecommendation#11.

MARKETING QUIZ ANSWERS

Define and analyze your target audience

#1Knowing your audience allows you to personalize your message, increase your impact, and reduce your costs.

Do• Continuously research and analyze your audience.

• Narrow your initial contact list to a targeted audience to match your objectives.

• Double check your current contact list by comparing it to another source.

Don’t• Assume you know your audience.

• Target too broad of a list.

Defining and selecting your audience is the single most important step in planning an outreach effort. Knowing your audience allows you to personalize your message, increase your impact, and reduce your costs. In fact, 50% of the time spent on your total outreach effort should be directed towards selecting only the most likely prospects for your target audience.

The first step is to compile a contact list. Developing the most accurate, targeted list possible can save a lot of time and resources in the future. Lists can sometimes be obtained from the local USDA office or requested through the FOIA Act. Lists can also be purchased through paid services, such as Core Logic, that compile property tax records lists from across the country. But, your best option may be the county assessor’s office. Care should be taken to make sure the ownership information and addresses are up to date.

Once you have compiled a list of landowners and contact information, you are ready to identify and analyze your target audience. What do you know about your audience’s demographics, current knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, and interests? Analyzing your target audience can be accomplished through conducting a survey, researching information already available, and continuously profiling your contacts.

The more you learn about your target audience and the more effort you put into making your message relevant to that audience, the more your marketing efforts will be successful.

Ready to Get Started? See the CD’s “How To” folder for... 12 Steps to Define Your Target Market Technical Guide to Developing a Contact List The Profile of a Non-Operator Landowner

What we learned... Even if you think your list is

good, it might not be. In Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, our pilot project began with a survey of non-operator landowners. Mailing lists were obtained from the assessor’s office and the FSA office. Very little overlap was found between the lists. Since FSA used bulk mail, they did not receive forwards or returns, essentially making their list obsolete.

50%

20%

30%

CreativeOfferAudience

Division of Time Spent on Outreach Efforts

Identify Desired Actions and Create a Plan

#2Think of your plan like a story. You must establish there is a problem before you can offer a solution.

Do• Meet landowners where they are at.

• Use baby steps to encourage action.

Don’t• Have a short timeline for outreach.

• Begin outreach before a plan is in place.

Like any aspect of marketing, you need a strategy. A strategy will not only help you plan, but it will help you focus your content around specific information that resonates with your audience.

When working to educate landowners and move them toward a desired action, you need to be prepared to meet them where they are at. Consider including secondary goals that invite your audience to perform an action other than the primary one you would like them to take. Secondary goals offer another path or “baby step” for landowners who are not ready to commit to the primary goal.

A primary goal might be the installation of waterways, while the secondary goals could include a free informational piece to learn about the benefits of waterways, or a free assessment to see if the landowner has a need for a waterway.

Having incremental actions motivates your audience to continue to engage with you until they are ready to commit to the primary goal.

Ready to Get Started? See the CD’s “How To” folder for... 4 Steps to Setting Goals and Objectives

What we learned... Plan for the long haul Influencing change takes time. Getting landowners to implement practices or make management changes is not something that will happen overnight.

Plan for a minimum of five touches to each landowner per year, over multiple years. The more touches or contacts you have, the more likely you are to build a strong relationship and affect change. Remember, it is always better to have more contacts with a few landowners, than a few contacts with many.

Tailor the message to your audience

#3People are in a natural state of inertia. To be effective, your message must move them into action.

Do• Target your message to a specific audience or segment of

the audience.

• Test your message before rolling it out.

• Make your message relevant.

• Tell your audience what you want them to do and what is in it for them.

Don’t• Overwhelm the audience with too much information.

• Overlook the facts you know about your audience.

Develop your message based on the outreach objectives and segment of the audience you’ve identified.

Your message should be clear, specific, relevant, and tied directly to something the target audience values. Create a hook that engages the landowner, makes the message personal, and prompts them to respond. Make it clear to the reader what is being offered and directly state the benefit to the landowner. Be sure to utilize subheadings and captions throughout your materials to draw the reader in and reiterate your message.

Consider what you know about your audience. 1. Is the message as specific as it can be? 2. Does the message answer why the person is being contacted? 3. Is it clear what the landowner is being asked to do? 4. Does the message make it clear how the landowner will benefit? 5. Does it appeal to the landowner’s sense of “good”?

Ready to Get Started? See the CD’s “How To” folder for... Checklist for a Successful Message

What we learned... What seems obvious may not

be. A direct mail campaign in Orleans County, NY took advantage of dimensional mailings like chocolate “coins”. The coins emphasized that buffer strips add value to the land.

Response to the series of mailings was low. Upon evaluation, most landowners recalled receiving the mailings and were knowledgeable about the benefits of buffers. However, many landowners did not understand that buffers could be installed on the land they owned. The message was not perceived to be relevant.

Acknowledge and overcome barriers

#4In order to engage in action, a landowner must be convinced that the benefits far outweigh the barriers of participation.

Do• Allow easy, incremental steps for taking action.

• Be upfront and honest with landowners about what they can expect.

• Brainstorm practical ideas to help overcome common barriers.

Don’t• Assume one landowner’s barriers are the same as the next.

• Underestimate the power of small barriers in preventing action.

Numerous barriers prevent landowners from conserving the natural resources on their property. Some may be as simple as a lack of awareness, but others are more difficult to overcome such as lack of trust, distance from land, or reluctance to change. Many landowners do not understand their role in management changes and refer decision making back to the tenant.

Before you can expect a landowner to respond to your offers for conservation assistance, you must first uncover, and then overcome, the barriers perceived by the landowner. In other words, the landowner must be convinced that the benefit outweighs the cost of participation.

Barriers perceived by an absentee landowner may be very different than those perceived by an owner-operator. For example, a landowner who has never worked with a government agency may be leery of a contract that most owner-operators readily sign. Or, a non-operator landowner who works full-time may be unavailable to talk with local conservationists during regular business hours.

Take time to think through all of the barriers a landowner may encounter if they respond to your offer. Acknowledge those barriers and think about how you can help the landowner overcome them. Barriers must be minimized or removed so that the benefit outweighs the cost or effort of the action.

Ready to Get Started? See the CD’s “How To” folder for... Visualizing Barriers and Tradeoffs

What we learned... Acknowledge suspicions up

front. A top barrier we hear during our campaigns is that the offer seems “too good to be true.” Landowners are skeptical that we are indeed offering a free service.

After introducing ourselves during calling campaigns, we state “We are not selling anything . . . we’re only trying to make landowners like you aware of a free service we are offering this spring to help improve the health and productivity of your land.”

Make a single, compelling offer and specific call to action

#5The purpose of all marketing is to make an offer and ask for a response.

Do• Make one single offer.

• Test your offers to find what is most compelling.

• Change your offer as the campaign progresses.

• Directly state what you want the landowner to do.

Don’t• Offer something the landowner can get anywhere.

• Make your offer or call to action complicated.

• Make your offer too generic.

The purpose of all marketing is to make an offer and ask for a response. For example, you offer cost share and ask for program sign-up, or you offer an informational meeting and ask for attendance. Therefore, it is essential that every piece of communication include both an offer and an accompanying call to action. It’s the essential 1-2 punch.

The function of your offer is to move the landowner to take a desired action. And, in order to get them to take action, your offer must be compelling. Think of an offer that will be attractive to your audience. What is likely to make them respond? An important key is transforming a general offer into a compelling offer for specific knowledge or input. Instead of “For more information, call 555-1212” try “Call 555-1212 today to learn how to decrease nutrient runoff from your land by up to 90%.” Also, try adding deadlines for increased urgency.

Each outreach piece should communicate one single offer. Don’t give your audience multiple options. Once you’ve successfully compelled their response, it is important to maintain momentum. Any uncertainty of how to respond, or which option to pick, gives the landowner a reason to set your offer aside and decide to respond later (or never).

Be specific with your call to action (click this box, send a check, complete this form). Tell the customer what you want them to do, how to do it, and what they’ll get if they do it. Be direct; ask for the desired behavior.

Ready to Get Started? See the CD’s “How To” folder for... Checklist for a Successful Offer Where do I place my offer?

What we learned... Compel them to respond. “Call us today to discuss how we can help you” is a fair call to action, but it is not a compelling offer. And, it’s not often effective in engaging landowners.

In contrast, we learned to offer a specific service or event, usually something any landowner could request at any time. But, the offer made it seem special. “Call us to reserve your place today! At your free, one-on-one consultation, we’ll discuss your management goals and available assistance.” Isn’t that a little bit more pursuasive?

Keep language simple

#6When jargon or technical terms are used, a landowner may feel embarrassed or overwhelmed and be afraid to ask questions.

Do• Avoid jargon.

• Allow yourself to write in the first (I, we) and the second (you) person.

• Pre-test your message, make sure what the audience hears or reads is what you intended.

• Communicate with landowners using terms they understand.

Don’t• Use acronyms.

• Be too formal with your writing.

• Overwhelm your audience with too much detail.

Communicating with your audience in terms they can understand is essential in developing an effective message. This seems easy enough, right? Conserving natural resources isn’t really rocket science.

When you think about it, a good deal of jargon is used in the natural resources community. Everyday words like “conservation,” “watershed,” “technical assistance,” “stewardship,” “biodiversity,” or “best management practice” aren’t used on a daily basis by most people. Even though these words aren’t necessarily technical, they carry different meanings for different people. When jargon or technical terms are used, a landowner may feel embarrassed or overwhelmed and be afraid to ask questions.

Avoiding jargon and technical terms may be especially difficult in conversation. This is when listening to your audience and observing non-verbal clues are especially important.

When communicating your message in print, consider two levels of written information. The first should be a very simple, non-technical piece. The second piece can be more detailed, for those who indicate interest and are seeking more in-depth, specific information. If jargon or technical terms must be used, include specific examples or supplemental explanations to help your audience understand your meaning.

Ready to Get Started? See the CD’s “How To” folder for... Talk Conservation and Be Understood

What we learned... Two levels of detail meet the

needs of most landowners. When marketing vegetative filter strips to absentee landowners, we developed a series of mail pieces designed to increase awareness. They simply focused on what a filter strip is and the basic benefits filter strips provide. Once landowners responded to our offer, we mailed out additional information on specific topics regarding their practice of interest. The mailings were followed by phone calls to answer questions and request one-on-one meetings.

Build from awareness to action

#7Your message and offer should change as a landowner progresses through each sales stage.

Do• Develop different messages and offers for landowners at

different stages.

• Establish milestones for each level of the sales process.

• Allow time to build trust.

Don’t• Get discouraged.

• Expect landowners to jump directly to action.

The AIDA (Awareness, Interest, Desire, Action) model is used in marketing to depict the successive stages a buyer passes through in the selling process. The four stages are awareness, interest, desire, and action. Think of these stages like rungs of a ladder. In order to get to the top, the climber must first step on each rung.

Outreach materials should be developed so that they intentionally move landowners from one stage of the AIDA model to the next. Think through your entire campaign. Your message and offer should change as a landowner progresses through each sales stage. What message and offer combinations will be effective in creating awareness? How about creating trust in knowledgeable and interested landowners? Determine milestones for each level and consider tracking each landowner’s progress.

Remember people are at different levels and need to build trust. This process takes time. Changing behavior doesn’t happen overnight. It may take months, or even years, before you’re able to engage your audience in taking action.

Ready to Get Started? See the CD’s “How To” folder for... Marketing the AIDA Way

What we learned... Design different messages

for landowners at different stages.

In the Michigan pilot, we sent landowners who had not previously responded to our outreach a series of mailings with broad, simple information and offers for one-on-one consultation.

Conversely, to those who demonstrated interest and likelihood for CREP buffer strip eligibility, we sent an aerial map of their property with a filter strip drawn, payment estimate, and a gift certificate offer for timely sign-up. The personalized package was sent via U.S.P.S. Priority Mail.

Action

Desire

Interest

Awareness

Repeat your message many times with multiple media

#8The “Rule of Seven” states you must contact your buyers a minimum of seven times in an 18-month period for them to remember you.

Do• Keep notes on each landowner contact as your campaign

progresses.

• Plan for as many contacts as your budget allows.

• Be persistent.

• Have realistic expectations.

Don’t• Stop with one contact.

• Overlook the fact that some forms of media are not well suited to all audiences.

• Use only one form of media. Mix up your choices to best match different desired actions.

Whether you like the term or not, you’re likely in the business of “selling” conservation. And, just as in selling cars or windows, selling conservation requires that you reach out to your audience many times, in many different ways. Would you purchase a car based on a single postcard you received in the mail?

Expect your outreach campaign to require multiple contacts. How many contacts? Unfortunately there is no magic number. It is clear that a one-time letter or phone call is not enough. In fact, marketing research shows that only 20% of sales are made with less than five contacts. If you are going to devote resources to a marketing campaign, be prepared to commit to it for the long haul.

And, expect these contacts to be most effective if offered through a variety of media - direct mail, phone calls, conference calls, email, websites, press releases, field tours, small group meetings, etc. Different forms of media are more appropriate for different messages and audiences. As well, not all people prefer the same type of media. You can only determine what works best to engage your audience by testing different media.

There is no “silver bullet” and no way to shortcut offering the same consistent message to your audience, many times over. Be persistent. Remember, you are “selling” conservation.

Ready to Get Started? See the CD’s “How To” folder for... 7 Fatal Flaws of Direct Mail 10 Steps to Plan a Phone Campaign The One-on-One Meeting Process 6 Keys to a Compelling Case Study

What we learned... Repeated messages = High

responses. Our longest outreach effort in Iowa’s Raccoon River Watershed had one of our highest response rates to date. Funding was available to continue outreach for over three years. Landowners received a minimum of 20 contacts from Conservation Connect. Often times, we considered dropping non-responders from the mailing list; but we were amazed that, in year three, most landowners requesting information had never responded before. Proving persistence pays off.

Create a consistent brand

#9Spread all of your outreach materials out on a table. Is it immediately obvious that all are from the same source?

Do• Use creative components to support your message, not

overshadow it.

• Brand your outreach pieces by using similar design elements.

• Be consistent.

Don’t• Get too caught up in creating the perfect design.

• Make your audience read to figure out who sent the message.

• Expend your budget with elaborate mail pieces.

It is very difficult to build recognition, interest, and eventually trust with landowners if they don’t realize you’re the single source of all of the contacts they’ve been receiving. Represent your organization (or group of organizations) in the most simple, straightforward way possible. Creative design elements can help you do this.

Branding (also referred to as brand image) is an important way to set your message apart from other information received by the landowner. Branding refers to the process of creating a consistent look and feel in all of your outreach materials. Consistent brands not only use a recognizable logo, but also use similar design elements (such as color scheme, font, text size, and layout) throughout each marketing piece.

The key to effective branding is not necessarily to be fancy or extremely creative, but rather to be consistent. Spread all of your outreach materials out on a table. Is it immediately obvious that all are from the same source?

Remember, creative design should support the content, not overshadow it. Creative components are meant to capture the landowner’s attention, ensure that he or she reads the piece, and clarify the message. Consider the landowners needs, skills, and interests when developing your design.

Ready to Get Started? See the CD’s “How To” folder for... Design Rules You Can’t Afford to Ignore Checklist to Keep Your Brand Consistent

What we learned... Effective branding creates

perception of “one-stop-shop”. Our earliest work with absentee landowners proved most are overwhelmed by the complexities of multiple agencies and offerings. They desire to be served by a one-stop-shop. And, they want their information source to be local.

In Iowa, we overcame this barrier by creating the Iowa Conservation Connect brand. This name and brand image represents a partnership of several organizations. It is simple, straightforward, and perceived by landowners as local.

Establish yourself as a trusted expert

#10Before they will act, landowners must feel comfortable that your recommendations have their best interests in mind.

Do• Continuously look for opportunities for landowner

endorsements.

• Help landowners find answers to ALL their natural resource questions.

• Reiterate you’re a local person, with local knowledge.

Don’t• Miss out on opportunities to get your photo and contact

information in print.

• Overlook the long term opportunities created by being the local expert.

• Forget to use social media outlets to showcase your expertise.

Landowners must trust in you and your organization for them to respond to your message and offer. They need to feel comfortable that your recommendations for land management have their best interests in mind.

A key way to build trust over time is to position yourself as the local expert on all conservation issues. Your name should be the first thing to pop into the mind of landowners when they have a natural resource question. And, if you don’t have the answer they are seeking, find someone who does and refer them.

In the short term, establish your credibility in simple ways. For example, include your contact information on every piece of correspondence. Also, place your photo with contact information on your website.

Another great way to establish credibility and build trust is to seek out testimonials from various landowners whom you have helped or other trusted local sources. These can be promoted through newsletters, endorsed letters from another landowner, or prominently displayed on your website or in brochures.

Ready to Get Started? See the CD’s “How To” folder for... Writing a Great Endorsement Letter

What we learned... Endorsed letters offer a new

perspective and compelling message.

We’ve experimented with multiple ways to build credibility. In Michigan, endorsement letters were sent to landowners. The letters were written by an area landowner providing his perspective on working with the landowner advisor. The hand-addressed, hand-stamped letters were signed by the landowner and included his home address and phone number. The endorsed letters were mailed following meeting invitations and generated a greater response than any other mail contact.

Nurture relationships through excellent customer service

#11Timely, repeated follow-up is one of the biggest pitfalls many conservation organizations face when servicing absentee landowners.

Do• Respond to requests for information within two weeks -

max!

• Develop a system to track contacts and follow up with landowners.

• Work towards in-person, in-field meetings with landowners.

Don’t• Talk more than you listen.

• Wait for the landowner to call you.

• Dismiss eligible landowner leads because they aren’t yet ready to commit.

Engaging landowner interest by getting them the right message at the right time, and then compelling them to respond, can be quite a task. But even when you accomplish this, the job isn’t done. Building relationships (also referred to as lead nurturing) is absolutely critical to engaging landowners in conservation action. The nurturing process involves contacting landowners on an ongoing basis (even if they haven’t requested you to do so) until they are deemed “sales ready.” It is necessary to work with a landowner over time to gain commitment and change behaviors. This is especially true of non-operator landowners, who may be completely new to natural resource conservation opportunities.

Timely follow-up is one of the biggest pitfalls conservation organizations face. Make it a point to follow-up with all interested landowners as soon as possible. Ideally, the maximum length of time is 48 hours. A more realistic goal may be within 2 weeks. Waiting too long to follow up with a landowner after their inquiry results in loss of trust and momentum. Often, the landowner’s interest has turned to other priorities. And, if you think the “ball’s in their court,” think again. Experienced salespeople rarely expect a prospect to call back. Rather, they always take it upon themselves to initiate contact.

The lead nurturing process can be greatly assisted by developing a system for tracking contacts, landowner information, and follow-ups. Your system can be elaborate and electronic or simple and paper-based. What’s important is that it’s user-friendly and used on a consistent basis.

Ready to Get Started? See the CD’s “How To” folder for... Tracking Your Results Creating Assistance Notes 6 Questions to Profile a Landowner

What we learned... Designate a single point of

contact to build relationships. In many areas, we hired a “landowner advisor” to provide specialized customer service to absentee landowners. The advisor was dedicated to providing timely follow-up and helping landowners overcome any barriers they faced in accessing conservation resources. Timely follow-up and extra assistance capitalized on momentum created through outreach and helped move landowners from interest to action.

SEPTEMBER, 2014

R e s p e c t & P r o t e c t